Molla, a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, was executed ostensibly for war crimes committed under the aegis of the Pakistani military during the 1971 war of liberation / secession. Irrespective of his guilt or the appropriateness of his punishment, this episode is a clear reminder of two widely divergent views of history. In Pakistan’s case, though, this problem is all the more acute owing to a steadfast refusal, at least within the powers that be, to acknowledge and understand a troubled past. And in doing so, we uphold a long-standing tradition whereby East Pakistan was viewed merely as a territory to be retained and not as a landscape with a complicated history and a diverse population along with its political aspirations, historical sensibilities, and distinct cultural, social and linguistic affinities.

This, more than anything else, is why The Bangladesh Reader should be required reading in Pakistan. While the past cannot be undone, the future still holds out the possibility of reaching out to Bangladesh based on a deeper understanding of this perpetually misunderstood land. But beyond Pakistan, this book is also necessary for learning more about a country that is unfortunately better known for its floods, political instability, collapsing factories, microfinance schemes, and the mediocrity of its cricket team. Edited by Meghna Guhathakurta and Willem van Schendel, this is an admirably and imaginatively complied volume.

Comparing the Reader to “a choir performing a grand oratorio” the editors hope to “convey the ambiance, complexity, texture, and excitement of Bangladesh to a broad readership.” In this, they have largely succeeded. Making no claims to making the definitive statement on Bangladesh, this volume surprises the reader with its variety of approaches and source materials. Maps, folk tales, paintings, photographs, poems, songs, letters, academic accounts, speeches, cartoons, advertisements, satellite imagery and a recipe (fish in mustard sauce, for those who are interested), are all marshalled to give a flavour (pun intended) of Bangladesh’s history, culture and politics. Moreover, a range of voices, cutting across socio-economic, gender, rural / urban, religious, ethnic and linguistic divides speak through a dizzying array of languages, ranging from Bengali to Portuguese, Sak and German, among others. This book is indeed, as the authors suggest in their invocation of a popular Bengali expression, “as variegated as an embroidered quilt.” And taken together, this is a unique, impressive and imaginative approach to compiling a volume of this nature. Needless to suggest, publishers, writers and academics interested in putting together a general volume on Pakistan should take note of The Bangladesh Reader.

Following a roughly chronological order, the volume begins with a foray into Bangladesh’s pre-colonial history, from ancient times to the medieval period. Included, among other pieces, is a fascinating excerpt from Ibn-e-Battuta’s travelogues as well as the earliest European map of Bengal. This is followed by a section covering the roughly 200 years that Bengal was under colonial rule. In line with the general approach of the book, this section doesn’t attempt to provide a synopsis of the historiography on colonial Bengal. Instead, it offers a variety of insights and source materials — from colonial and peasant accounts to voices of anti-colonial radicals and religious reformers — to provide a multilayered view of Bengal’s encounter with colonial rule.

For the Pakistani readership, though, the next few sections will probably be of greater interest. The first explores the process and the varied experiences of Partition. While Bengal didn’t experience the horrific scale of the communal holocaust which enveloped Punjab, it still suffered an unprecedented social, economic, and communal upheaval. Starting from an excerpt from the Boundary Commission’s report, this section explores both the joy and disappointment that accompanied Partition. Later, the widespread disillusionment that soon followed independence is explored in some detail.

The process through which both wings grew distant from each other is covered through a variety of angles. Included are the Awami League’s Six Points and Sheikh Mujib’s speech in which he called for the emancipation of East Pakistan. An unexpected surprise, though, is a brief and delightful foray into the material culture and architectural symbolism of the 1960s.

The section on the liberation war of 1971 makes for harrowing reading. Particularly disturbing are the pieces which document the brutality of the Pakistani army as it set out to crush Bengali resistance. Especially moving is a letter by an Indian civil rights activist working with Bengali refugees to his counterparts in Pakistan. Other pieces highlight the experiences of guerrilla fighters, expatriates settled in Bangladesh and the ‘Biharis’ who were left stranded in camps for decades after 1971.

Later sections focus on the tensions that accompanied nation-building and Bangladesh’s diverse cultural landscape. These are followed by a set of brief engagements with the themes of development and the globally dispersed Bangladeshi diaspora. All four are essential for getting a sense of the politics and culture of modern-day Bangladesh. Of particular interest are the pieces on contemporary political, cultural, religious, socio-economic contestations. And included at the end of the book is an invaluable list of further and specialised readings which readers could consult.

Inevitably, though, there are a few aspects which were left unexplored in this volume. The most prominent one which comes to mind is the predicted impact of climate change on Bangladesh. Yet, such omissions are only to be expected in a volume of this nature. So, does The Bangladesh Reader fulfil and even exceed our expectations at times? Insofar as it is possible to compile a general text on the eighth most populous nation on earth, the answer is an emphatic yes.

The reviewer has a PhD in South Asian history from the University of Oxford

The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics

(Anthology)

Edited by Meghna Guhathakurta and Willem van Schendel

Duke University Press, US

ISBN 978-0-8223-5318-8

568pp.